MINERAL WELLS, Texas – On the tail end of a relentless severe weather marathon, a destructive tornado tore through the town of Mineral Wells in north Texas, leaving a trail of significant structural damage and reported injuries Tuesday evening, officials said.
Overnight, officials declared a local state of disaster as first responders continued to assist those affected, assess the damage and secure impacted areas to ensure public safety.
The city implemented a curfew for areas with extensive damage until 6 a.m. Wednesday, followed by a nightly 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew until further notice.
In a news conference on Wednesday, Mineral Wells Fire Chief Ryan Dunn said there is a lot of damage and debris spread across Country Club Estates, with collapsed buildings and roofs off of homes.
The National Weather Service Fort Worth office confirmed the tornado was an EF-3 that packed estimated winds of 145 mph. Surveying is still ongoing, and this rating could change as this is a preliminary rating.
The town asked for people to stay off the roads while damage surveys are conducted.
"A lot of this area is still not safe. We do not need or want extra traffic through here until we let our utility companies get in and get everything under control, do their assessments and make sure that the area is cleared.," said Mineral Wells Mayor Regan Johnson. "Then we can move on to, debris and chainsaws and recovery efforts and those kind of things"
Dunn said on Wednesday that five people were injured and taken to the hospital. He said several others were treated on scene and didn't go to the hospital.
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Located just outside the DallasFort Worth Metroplex, the tornado ripped through Mineral Wells, destroying buildings and scattering debris across roads and parking lots, in addition to causing injuries.
On Tuesday, the NWS issued a Tornado Warning for Southern Parker County at 5:11 p.m. CDT, warning of a confirmed, radar-indicated tornado that impacted Mineral Wells, among other areas.
At 5:10 p.m. CDT, a confirmed tornado was located along Highway 180 just west of Cool, Texas, roughly three miles east of Mineral Wells, moving towards the city at 25 mph, the warning said.
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Images from Mineral Wells highlighted the devastating impact of severe weather, with an entire warehouse suffering significant structural damage and numerous other buildings destroyed or heavily damaged, with officials saying some structures are a "complete loss."
The devastating twister follows severe storms that swept across the region, killing two people in Texas and significantly impacting Parker County and other areas across the South.
Mayor Johnson said the recovery efforts will be long-term for the town.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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